Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool of the Dead or Resident Evil. The following chapter is a nonprofit fanbased parody. All rights belong to AT-X, TV Kangawa, Tokyo MX, Chiba TV, KBS Kyoto, TV Aichi, TV Saitama, Sun TV, Madhouse, Daisuke Sato and Capcom. Please support the official releases.
Takagi Mansion, Vincents room...
"Jack, I hope you realize what you're asking for. This is a big ask. Even if I can get a message out to the Athena Mother base, it would still be a few days before we get the necessary resources to help Japan contain this outbreak." Vincent explains to Jack, who nods his head in understanding at what he was just told.
"Yeah, Vincent, I know. I know how big of a favor this is, but we can't rely on the United States government for help. They'd rather Japan try to contain this crisis themselves instead of lifting a finger to help. Plus, we don't even know how far this infection has spread. Leon told me that there are evacuation checkpoints at key points throughout the country, but we don't know for sure how many of those are left standing." Jack explains his reasoning as Vincent, Ada and Leon stand and listen as he continues, but Vincent wasn't quite sold yet.
"Vincent, please. Athena is Japans only option. We can get a message out, find out just what fuck is going on, find out who started this outbreak, stop them, contain the infection and by that point, hopefully, we'll get the necessary resources and help from Athena to do clean up of whatever's left. I wouldn't be asking this of you, Vincent, if I didn't trust you, but I do. You've given me no reason not to. So, please, I'm asking... as a friend. Will you help me? Will you help my family and my home?" He asks Vincent pleadingly.
Vincent still didn't look too sure. He went through every possible scenario in his head, but he kept coming to the 2 same conclusions. The process would more than likely take too long. Best case scenario, Athena would send the necessary resources and help to contain and stop the spread of the infection in just a few days. 2 maybe 3 days at the most. Worst case scenario would be that it would take up to a week, maybe longer, to receive everything they require to stop the infection.
But regardless of the scenario, Vincent wasn't one to leave people high and dry, not when he could help in any and every possible way. So, he just looks at Jack and nods. "Alright, Jack. I'll send a message out to Athen Mother base and I'll see what all they can possibly do, but I make no promises, understand? So, hope for the best, but prepare for the worst, got it?" He asks him, making Jack nod gratefully.
"Yeah, I understand, Vincent, but thank you. Thank you for doing this." He says grabbing Vincents hand and shaking it rapidly.
"Don't worry about it, Jack. Just be prepared for whatever the answer is, because it may not be the answer you want." Vincent tells Jack, who just shakes his head. "It doesn't matter. As long as Athena is willing to help, that's all I ask." He says to him, to which Vincent nods.
"Alright. I'm gonna get going now. Saeko and Saya should have gathered up our group by now in my room." Jack says walking to exit Vincents room, but Leon stops him for a moment. "Gathered for what, Jack?" He asks him curiously just as Jack reaches the bedroom door.
Jack turns his head to answer. "A team meeting." He answers simply before opening the door and exits the room.
Vincent, Ada and Leon all look at each other before Vincent looks at Ada and motions his head towards Leon with a sly grin. Ada, understanding what he wanted her to do, smiles and nods as he walks to the other side of the room and pulls out his radio to contact Athena.
"Leon, will you come walk with me? I'm sure there are more questions you have for me. Any questions about Athena though, I'm not liberty to answer, alright?" She tells him, making Leon look at her then Vincent then back to her before shaking his head. "Oh, no. No, no. You're going to tell me just who this Athena organization is and what their interests are in all this." He answers her, not trusting who she and Vincent work for.
"Tell me, Agent Kennedy, if I were in your position and you were in mine, would you be ratting out your organization because someone else said so or would you be keeping whatever skeletons your organization has in its closet?" Vincent asks looking at him from the other side of the room with a side glance.
Leon pauses. "Well, I... well, you know... I mean..." He stammers and stumbles over his words as Vincent smirks before turning his head back to his radio. "That's what I thought. Enough with the double standards Agent Kennedy and just enjoy the time you're getting with Ada. You never know when you might get a chance like this again." He tells him as Leons face heats up in frustration and anger from being called out.
Ada tries to stifle her giggles from Leons reaction, but accidentally lets out a snicker, making Leon snap his head in her direction. She waves it off and motions for him to follow her while Vincent carries on with his business. "Come on, Leon. Vincent's right. Let's enjoy our time together. We might not get another chance like this again. At least not anytime soon." She says to him as she opens the door.
Leon follows her before he stops in the doorway to look back at Vincent. "Just so you know, Thorne, I'll be keeping my eyes on you." He warns him, but Vincent didn't take him too seriously. He just chuckles darkly before glancing at him again. "Kennedy, if I were you, I'd be paying attention to the beautiful woman that wants to spend some time with you before duty calls again. Plus, once word gets out that the United States won't help Japan, you'll be having multiple people keeping their eyes on you because they won't trust you or your government. So, if I were you, I'd be willing to help whoever I can instead of making enemies here." Vincent counters with his own warning.
"Now, move your ass, Leon, and spend time with Ada while you can and help out while you're here instead of trying to intimidate me. Because I've dealt with worse than you, pal." He finishes before looking back at the radio.
Leon glares at Vincent and was about to say something more, but Ada stops him with a shake of her head. "Leon, what is more important? Your pride and ego? Or the allies you need to make while you're here? Now, come on. Let's talk." She says to him calmly.
Leon looks back at Vincent then back at Ada before nodding as they both leave the room while Vincent contacts Athena.
With Jack and the others...
Jack opens the door to his bedroom and walks in to see Saekos group standing in the middle of the room as they turned to look at him. Alice smiles brightly then runs over to him to hug him tightly. Jack picks her up and hugs her back before picking her up to take her over to the bed. He sets her next to Miss Shizuka before walking next to Saeko to kiss her cheek then looks to the rest of the group.
"Alright, guys, I'm sure you're all wondering why I had Saeko and Saya bring you all here. And my answer is simple." He starts while looking at his friends as they watch and listen to him closely. "I'm going to give you all a choice. I'm going to go out and look for any survivors, including my mom if she's still alive out there. I am also going to try and find out the cause of this outbreak and put a stop to it if I can. I'm not going to ask any of you to come with me, so, before I head back out once my body stops aching, I want you all to think about what you want to do and where you want to be from here on out. Because once I'm gone, I will not come back until I put a stop to all this." He says to them as they all look at each other while thinking about their choice.
Saeko smiles and stands near Jack before placing a long and loving kiss on his cheek. "Well, I don't care what you do, Jack, but you're not going anywhere without me. So, I'm going with you. Period." She answers, placing her head on his shoulder. Alice then stands up and leaps into Jacks arms, making him and Saeko catch her so she doesn't fall and hurt herself.
Jack looks at her in surprise while she has a bright smile on her face. "Alice, what-" He begins to say, but the bright young girl interrupts him. "I'm going with you too, Oniichan! I need to keep an eye on you too. I won't leave you behind again." She tells him confidently. Her answer causes Jack to frown with uncertainty.
"Alice, wherever we end up, it's going to be dangerous. There's a huge chance that you could get hurt, or worse." He tells her, but she just shakes her head and hugs his neck tightly. "I don't care! I've already lost mommy and daddy, I won't lose you too, Oniichan! I can't! I can't lose any of you... You're all my family now..." She tells him and the others with a trembling voice as she holds Jack like a lifeline.
"Alice..." Jack whispers while gently rubbing her back as Saeko brushes some of her hair off her face. Hirano was next to step forward. "I'm with Saeko, Jack. You've always had my back even before all this, and now that the rules and laws of society are... well, nonexistent at the moment, it's my turn to have your back. But this time we're equals. You've got my back, I've got yours." He says to Jack with a bright smile while walking next to him and pats his shoulder.
Jack smiles and nods then looks at the others remaining. "That's four. Anyone else?" He asks them.
Miss Shizuka thinks about her decision for a moment, then looks at Jack and smiles before standing up from the bed. "I'll go with you too, Jack-kun. I know we haven't been through much together since all this started, but you've always treated me with kindness and respect when others hadn't. All they see when they look at me is... just some airhead bimbo with a huge chest." She says to him looking down while motioning to herself and her impressive bust. She then looks back up at him with a bright smile. "But you've never treated me that way. You were always kind and good to me. Which is why wherever you go, I will follow you and take care of you and the others. If only to repay you because of your kindness." She tells him and his group with tears building up in her eyes.
Jack looks at Saeko, Alice and Hirano before looking back at Shizuka then walks towards her before smiling and hugging her. Shizuka, shocked for a moment, instantly hugs him back while quietly sobbing. Jack lets go of the hug and walks back to Saeko with Shizuka beside him.
All that remained was Saya, Rei and Takashi. Jack looks at them and waits. "Rei, Saya, Takashi? What do you guys want to do?" He asks them.
Takashi didn't look too sure and Rei looked like she was still coming to a decision, but Saya was next to speak up. "I have been... nothing but a bitch to you for the past few years, Jack, and I'm only just starting to make amends with you. I'm not going to miss that chance. Of course, I'm going to go with you. You're... you're my brother, Jack, and I'm not going to lose you. Not when I'm just getting you back." She says to him, tearfully rushing forward to hug him tightly. Jack hugs her back with a smile and nods.
He then looks at Rei and Takshi. "Well? You two are all that's left. You both in or out?" He asks them curiously. He'd rather have all of his friends with him to keep an eye on, but he won't force them to come with him if they don't want to. If they'd rather sit tight at Takagi Mansion and wait for help, they're free to do so, but he won't force them to do anything they don't want to do.
"I don't know, Jack. I mean... I want to help you, but... wouldn't it be better if we just wait here until help gets here? I mean, what good would it do if we go and we find no survivors or your mom? Then all of it will have been for nothing." Takashi says to him with uncertainty. He then looks at the rest of the group and Rei and just shrugs. "I... I'm sorry guys, really, but... I'm gonna need a little more time to think about this." He tells them before walking towards the bedroom door to exit the room.
"Takashi, whatever decision you make, I'll support and accept it, but think about this for a second. It's not just my mom that's out there, you're parents are out there too. And I'm willing to bet that they would stop at nothing just to get back to you and make sure you're safe. Would you be willing to do the same for them if there is even the slightest chance that they're still alive?" Jack asks Takashi just as he is about to leave the room, making him pause before he walks out.
Jack turns to look at Rei, who, like Takashi, looked uncertain, but was still conflicted about making such an important decision in such a short amount of time. "Jack-kun, I'm... not fully with Takashi, but I do agree with him about taking some time. I know you guys may be moving out soon, but... I'm still... I'm still undecided. I want to help you, really, I do. But I'm not sure yet. Will you... give me until tomorrow to figure it out? I want to sleep on it." Rei answers timidly while looking at Jack with hope that he will understand and give her time to think about her decision.
Jack smiles and nods. "Take the time you need, Rei. I hope to hear your answer tomorrow." He tells her while walking up to her and hugs her tightly as she hugs him back.
Then, to Jacks confusion, she begins to tremble. "Rei? What's wrong? You're trembling." He asks her with concern. She says nothing at first and just nods before stopping . She then shakes her head before looking up at him with tear filled eyes.
"I... I lost... Hisashi. I don't want to lose you or the others. You guys... might be all I have left. The only thing left that I can consider a family. Please... please don't leave me." She says to him with sadness as she hugs him again, but tighter.
Jack hugs her back gently and whispers soothingly in her ear. "Rei, you're not going to lose me, or any of us for that matter. But if you decide not to go, we can't stay here with you. We've made our decision. It's time to make yours." He whispers to her as she looks up at him. "Get plenty of rest tonight and think about what you want to do from here on. Because once we head out, you might not hear from us for a while. Understand?" He tells her softly, making her look at him for a moment before nodding her head. She then hugs him one more time before hugging the others then leaves the room.
Saya sighs deeply before placing her hands on her hips. "Well, that went better than I thought it would." She says with slight relief while looking at the bedroom door before looking at Jack. "What now?" She asks him curiously as the others looked at him, waiting for his answer.
Jack immediately answered. "We make our preparations and get ready to head out. Once we hear Takashi and Reis answers, we leave two days after that." He tells them.
They all nod and leave the room, leaving only Jack and Saeko alone in the room.
Jack sighs deeply before sitting down on the side of the bed. "Babe, what's on your mind?" Saeko asks him curiously as she walks over to sit beside him on the bed. Jack just shakes his head before answering. "Nothing. I'm just... still trying to figure out how all this happened. The Nemesis, the virus, the prototype Hunters in the sewers, everything." He says before looking at her with doubt. "I mean, 12 years since Raccoon City and not a single major outbreak in a city or country until now. Why? Why now?" He wonders out loud.
Saeko shugs, not having an answer before she wraps her arms around him. "I... don't have an answer, Jack. At least not one you want to hear, but here's what I do know." She says to him as she cups his cheek to have him look at her. "I do know that we're going to find out. No matter how long it takes us, we'll find out the answer why this happened. I'm going to keep fighting, the others will too. Will you?" She asks him.
Jack just looks at Saeko with admiration before smiling then nodding his head. "You should already know the answer to that, Saeko." He tells her, making her smile before they lean in close to each other for a kiss.
After holding their kiss for a moment, they hear a knock on the door. Breaking away from their kiss, Jack gets up and walks towards the door to open it and find out who is knocking.
Opening the door, Jack sees that it's Vincent that was knocking. "Vincent? What's up?" He asks him curiously. "May I come in?" Vincent asks in return while looking a little sad. "You'll want to hear this." He tells him before Jack nods and allows Vincent into the room, but he currently didn't like the look on Vincents face.
Saeko stands up when Vincent walks in with Jack behind him after closing the bedroom door. "Vincent-san?" She wonders as Jack walks over to her side. She looks at both Jack and Vincent before looking solely at Jack. "Should I leave? I don't want to impose if this is something only you need to hear." She asks Jack, but before he can answer, Vincent answers instead. "No, Saeko-san. You can stay. You'll want to hear this too." He tells her as they both look at him with curiosity, but also concern.
"I managed to contact Athena, Jack." He began as Jack just looks at him, waiting to hear what they said or when they'll be in Japan to help with any and all survivors.
"And? What did they say?" Jack anxiously asks as Saeko gently rubs her hand on his back to keep him calm.
"They're aware of the situation here in Japan because of my intel and Adas. While they can't get here right away, they're doing everything they possibly can to round up any and all resources to help with the survivors. As well as bringing in weapon shipments for the scattered Japanese police and soldiers. Once they get here, they'll help with the search for survivors and equip them to better defend themselves while doing cleanup to contain the outbreak." Vincent explains to them both, making Saeko sigh deeply with relief, but Jack was still waiting for the answer that Vincent had not yet told him. "That's good news, but when will they be here, Vincent? That's what I want to know." He says to him sternly.
Vincent sighs deeply. "My aunt said while they will work as quickly as they can to scrounge up everything needed to help, it could take up to at least 3 days. 4 days tops. We'll be lucky if they get here in 2." He says to them both. Jack looks a little disappointed while Saeko sighs dejectedly.
"I'm sorry I don't have better news, Jack, but I promise you, everyone at Athena is working as quickly as they can to help. It's just going to take a few days." Vincent says to him apologetically, but Jack shakes his head. "No, it's ok, really. At least you managed to get in contact with them and told them what's going on. I'll admit, I was hoping they'd get here sooner rather than later, but at least they're hearing us out and they're willing to help. That's more than enough." He tells Vincent with a smile. "Thank you, Vincent." He says as Saeko nods gratefully.
Vincent says nothing and just nods as Saeko walks up to him and hugs him tightly. "Thank you, Vincent-san." She whispers. Vincent hugs her back gently before she pulls away and walks back over to stand next to Jack near the bed. "Don't worry about it, you two. I only wish I had better news for you." He tells them both, but Jack shakes his head slowly with a small smile. "Like you said, Vincent, don't worry about it. We'll take what we can get at the moment. It may not be the best news, but at least they heard us out and we'll be expecting them in a few days." He says with relief before he laughs. "At least it's not a week." He says as he, Saeko and Vincent all laugh before sighing deeply.
"Well, regardless, Jack, be prepared for anything. Because you never know what could go wrong. But I won't get into that." He tells them before walking over to the chair next to the bed and sits down on it, suddenly feeling exhausted. "Which brings me to what I want to ask." He then says to them with a look of seriousness now.
Jack and Saeko both sit down on the bed to hear him out. "Are your minds made up?" He asks them, knowing what they both have planned. Jack and Saeko look at each other for a moment before Saeko nods. Sighing, Jack answers. "Most of us have, but Takashi and Rei... they haven't decided yet. Rei said she'll have her answer by tomorrow." He tells him as Vincent looks at him and Saeko curiously with narrowed eyes. "And Takashi?" He asks.
Saeko shakes her head. "He didn't give us a time. We hope it will be tomorrow like Rei, but we're not going to get our hopes up." She answers him as Vincent nods his head.
"You want me to talk to him? If he takes too much time, then feelings will be hurt and friendships will also be lost if he doesn't come to a decision soon." He tells them, but they both shake their heads quickly. "No. No. We're going to give him the time he needs, but he has until tomorrow and then two days after that. Two days after tomorrow is when we're heading back out into the city to look for any survivors." Jack informs him.
Vincent nods then looks away with a far off look. After a moment, Saeko brings his attention back to them. "Why don't you come with us, Vincent-san?" She asks, making both young men look at her in shock. "What?" He asks her, wanting to make sure he heard her right.
"Come with us. We could certainly use your talents against the zombies and those mutated monsters that both you and Jack have encountered. Why not come with us?" She asks him again. Vincent looks at Jack, who was still looking at Saeko in shock, before chuckling then looks at her with a shake of his head. "You guys don't need me, Saeko-san. You have Jack and he has you. What more could you two possibly need than each other? You also have your group. Even without me, you'll all be fine as long as you stick together." He explains to her, making her lower her head in disappointment, but smiles before looking back up at him with a nod.
"I understand, Vincent-san." She says to him with a bright smile as Vincent nods back before he stands up. "Besides, I'm planning on staying here with the Takagi's to help with any survivors that are heading towards the mansion. I'll also need to help out with the survivors here." He says before looking back at them.
"Some idiots are spreading rumors that the zombies aren't actually dead and that everyone that has been killing them are murderers." He informs them while walking towards the bedroom door.
Hearing this, Jack and Saeko both jump up off the bed at the stupidity of what was just said to them. "Seriously? People here are thinking that the zombies are still people? Have they not SEEN what others have seen? Or are they just ignoring the facts?" Jack asks him as he quickly walks up behind Vincent while Saeko looks disgusted at the fact of how stupid people can be by lying to themselves.
Vincent looks back at them both with an exhausted sigh. "I know, Jack, and believe me, I don't like it either. Either they've witnessed and experienced the same stuff you guys have, or they're lying and deluding themselves to protect their minds from breaking. To be honest though, it's those types of people you need to watch out for so you don't end up getting stabbed in the back. But I just want to warn you both, and you might to tell your group this too, but names have been going around among them. And your name, Jack, and yours, Saeko-san, have been brought up quite a few times already. And they don't have a high opinion of either of you." He warns them as they both look at him with disbelief.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me. They're talking about us? Do they not know what it is we've all been through? What we've seen?" Jack asks him with a quiet angry tone, making Vincent nod. "They do know, Jack, but none of them believe it. Some of them are calling you and Saeko-san killers and psychos. Others are defending you since some of them are survivors of Raccoon City. But take my advice, Jack, and you too, Saeko-san, avoid contact with those survivors." He says to them both as he puts a hand on Jacks shoulder. "Avoid them and do not give them any reason to come after you because they're all on edge." He tells them as Saeko walks up to both young men with an angry glare.
"Avoid them?! With them spreading lies about us, Vincent-san?! We can't just-!" She says to him with her voice raised, but Vincent cuts her off mid sentence.
"I understand your frustration, Saeko-san, but if you go to confront them, you'll only be proving them right just by going off them alone. Don't do anything to provoke them or set them off. Everyone is already on edge and ready to cut and run at the drop of a hat. So, from here until you guys are ready to leave, avoid those idiots at all costs. Don't give them anymore supporters than they already have. Alright? Let the idiots think what they want. If they don't want to face the truth, then they'll die regardless if they don't face the reality." He tells them both as Jack sighed in frustration while Saeko looked ready to explode.
"You can't just expect us to-!" She began, but stops when Jack looks at her with a slight glare and a shake of his head before he looks back at Vincent.
"Alright. We'll steer clear of them, Vincent. Thanks for the heads up." He says to him, making Vincent nod before opening the door and exiting the room.
"Jack, we can't just let people spread rumors and lies about us. The things we've seen, the things we've DONE. Those people couldn't possibly even begin to understand what we've gone through since the initial outbreak." Saeko says to Jack dejectedly as he closes the door to his room.
He turns around and walks back over to her before wrapping her up in a tight hug. He kisses her forehead then looks directly into her eyes. "I know how you're feeling, Saeko, and I agree with you wholeheartedly, but Vincent's right. If we give those people any sort of ammunition against us, then we're just making things worse for us." He tells her as she listens intently while looking deeply into his eyes. "So, for the time being until we head out, let's fill the others in on this, and keep our heads down. If they want to send themselves to an early gave for their idiocy, let them. As much as I want to help other survivors, I won't help ones that believe that the zombies are still people. Once we head back out there, Saeko, we'll have to be extra vigilant around other survivors. I'm going to help to the best of my ability, but if anyone so much as looks at us wrong, I'm putting a bullet in their heads." He says to her with a small glare.
Saeko, shocked that Jack would talk about going that far, understood why he feels the way he does now. So, she just smiles and nods in understanding before wrapping her arms around his neck and kisses him softly. "Ok, Jack. I'll follow your lead. Now, let's go tell the others about this, yeah?" She tells him, making him nod as they both open the door and exit the room to give their group, including Rei and Takashi, a heads up about the rumors and gossip going around about them.
Meanwhile, inside a mall in Japan...
"Hey! Come on and hurry up you blonde bimbo! We don't have all day here!" An asian man in his late thirties yells at a young blonde woman, who was carrying two boxes of soda cans for storage.
The young blonde woman, who was wearing a form fitting, red and white, motocross suit, looks over the top of the boxes with a glare from her bright blue eyes. "Yeah, I'm coming, you asshole! This would go a lot faster if you would help out instead of barking orders at us like a man-bitch!" She shouts at the man, whose face turned bright red at the insult.
"Why, you back talking little whore!" He yells as she walks up to him with the boxes before he stops in front of her. "No one talks to me that way you little-ARRRGH!" He begins to shout at her before she "accidentally" drops the boxes on his feet.
Other survivors around them looked at the howling, wailing man before looking at the young blonde woman. She looks back at them and slyly smiles. "Oops. It slipped." She says with a shrug.
The other survivors just chuckle before resuming their work to take food, drinks, and other items/supplies to storage.
The man looks up at the young woman with a heated glare. "This isn't over, Walker. I'll make you pay for making a fool of me." He threatens as she just looks down at him with an uncaring look. "Yeah? Well, if you would put more energy into helping the rest of us instead of barking orders like a mad dog, this would go a whole lot faster. But then again, you've been useless since we all arrived here. You're not the leader here, scumbag. I am. So, pick your sorry ass up, and go do some work for once. Before I make you my bitch... again." The woman says to the man, who got up and limped away from her as another female survivor walks up behind her with a single box of bags of chips.
"Walker-san. Where should I put these?" The young woman asks timidly. Walker looks at the young woman and smiles before pointing at the direction of the big storage room in the mall.
"Take them where all the food and drinks go. Storage. And see if there's anything else you can find that we can salvage before we lock up for the night." She tells her as the woman nods. "Yes, ok. Thank you, Walker-san!" The woman says before being stopped by Walker.
"Come on. I've told you all already. Call me Elza." She says with a bright smile.